


Both Dark and Light Inside Us

by flmngdzhng



Series: 圈套 Crossover Compilation [2]
Category: HIStory - 著魔 | HIStory: Obsessed (Web Series), HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trap
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Dark Character, F/M, HIStory Webseries, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, possible ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2020-05-20 15:53:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19379914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flmngdzhng/pseuds/flmngdzhng
Summary: Shao Fei, a former Taiwan undercover agent and now a private investigator, is suddenly brought back to chaotic life when some mysterious packages arrive at his doorstep.





	1. Yours Truly

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching Jessica Jones Season 1 and kinda got inspired to write something for this fandom.
> 
> Not yet proofread and will possibly be revised in the future.
> 
> This fanfiction is dedicated to one fringey fanhurling friend of mine @petite_m0i (please do visit my friend's ig and enjoy my friend's awesome fanarts on ig) for the time we've spent together and for my friend's willingness to support (supervise to be precise) me from the beginning.

A package wrapped in brown paper was what first caught Shao Fei's attention the moment he pulled the door open. He had accidentally kicked the package, sending it a few inches away from its former position, as he was stepping out of his flat.

It was still considered early for some package to arrive at the doorstep but this was not what alerted him the most. It was his having been keeping a low profile for three years, he had rarely received any package aside from people he had entrusted his current address. Who might have sent him a package that early? He worried at his lip for a moment before deciding to pick up the package and bringing it along with him back into the room, his previous plan to go to the breakfast place having to be delayed.

He set the package down on the desk and began inspecting it in the hope he would be able to find any information regarding the sender. He turned the box-shaped package and lifted it to see the bottom of it in case it was accidentally turned upside down and yet found nothing. It was actually very light, making him have a suspicion that it was meant to be a prank. Thus, he tried to be as careful as possible when unwrapping the package and checking the content.

The thing he found inside the box made him freeze. Surrounded by shredded papers was a photograph of no one but himself, printed out in an A5 size glossy paper. It was a candid shot. He could not specify when but still recognized the location where it had taken place so he could tell the photo was not some edited photo. It had really been taken on the spot, without his knowing, which sent shudders down his spine.

His hand trembled as it reached into the box and took the photograph. Only by then did he find that it was not a single picture but a stack of pictures, all about himself.

The nauseating feeling built up within as he one-by-one revealed the candid photos of himself: one photo of him walking out the flat building, one of him sitting on a long bench at the park around the neighborhood, one of him talking to random person on the street, one of him standing under a bus shelter, and more photos of him until the last one which displayed him sitting inside the breakfast place he regularly visited. He threw those photos away as though they burned his hands and stood there in a massive shock.

He had never thought there would be a day where he wished he had gotten a packaged bomb instead of a stack of his own photographs. Deadly it might be, but being killed by a bomb was so much better than killed by some creepy stalker. No one ever knew what kind of plans the stalked had inside the stalker's head.

He looked into the box again in hope for some clues about the sender. But aside from the photographs, there were only shredded papers and down at the bottom something else that made him frown.

_A petal?_

He picked the single red petal from the bottom of the box and brought it closer to his eyes.

His frown deepened as he came to realize that he had not been doing a really good job at keeping a low profile. But who might have stalked him when he had not done anything aside from his not so dangerous jobs as a private investigator. Who might have known his whereabouts when he had been using a name alias the whole three years? The first to occur to him was one of his former clients. But was it truly one of them when most of them had been ones desperate to catch their significant others in illicit affairs? No one from the list had been suspicious enough and he had made sure to not take anyone suspicious before agreeing to the tasks.

He racked his brains to find an answer and a moment later his thought went to people who knew him.

He fished his phone out of his pants pocket and immediately ran through his contact list. Once he found a contact under contact name Zhao Zi, his thumb hovered above the dial button.

But he went with sending a message instead.

He dropped his phone on top of the table and sat down to calm himself down.

Not long he was brought back from his musing by his suddenly vibrating phone. He let it vibrate for some time before getting up to check it out.

_Zhao Zi._

He hesitated for a split of a second, then picked the call up.

"What?" he said to the phone.

_"Shao Fei, don't you dare give me that! You sent me a message for fuck's sake!"_

He had to keep the phone away from his ear in order to avoid becoming deaf from Zhao Zi's yelling voice. After he was sure Zhao Zi was done with his yelling, he pressed the phone back against his ear.

"Did Jack just piss you off?" he asked.

_"Are you serious? For your information, Jack always pisses me off, and no, he's been out since last night."_

"Where to?"

 _"No idea. Maybe he's just suddenly got into some unfinished business—hey—don't change the topic!"_ He rolled his eyes, despite the fact that the person on the other line could not see it. Zhao Zi sometimes could be way too dramatic. " _Explain to me now!"_

He let out a sigh.

"I don't think it's necessary now. Let's just drop it, okay?"

 _"You, shithead Fei! You literally_ _have just texted me out of nowhere after the whole three years you've gone missing, asking me if I sent something to your place! How is it not necessary anymore? You better tell me everything or I'm coming over!"_

He frowned. So Zhao Zi had found out where he had been hiding these last three years. Where had his friend found out from? And was his friend serious about coming over right away? His place was two hours away from where Zhao Zi was. Was his friend really serious about ditching his job only to come over? Since when the guy had the audacity to go against the boss?

He was not going to let Zhao Zi do that and be punished later.

"Alright. Be sure to be here tomorrow before I leave for stakeout," he told Zhao Zi at last.

 _Bullshit_. With his current situation, he seemed to have to put his business on hold for a while. Now when some stalker was out there, he could not put himself at risk by going out without protection. He had to think about a way to figure out what was happening first.

After saying goodbye, Zhao Zi ended the call and he dropped the phone on the table.

 

\---

 

The next day, a rap of knuckles on the door woke him up. It took a little while for him to register the yelling that followed. He groaned as he felt his head throbbing. It did not surprise him anymore since it had happened more frequently as of late. Though he had swallowed a pill to help him sleep, apparently, it had not worked that much and he had not managed to get enough sleep, which eventually caused him to have a throbbing head.

_"Shao Fei! Open the door!"_

He groaned again at the shouting and scrunched up his face. Could they just give him a break? The headache and loud yelling in the morning was the worst combination to wake up to.

He buried himself under his pillow to prevent the noise from reaching his ears.

_"Shao Fei!"_

" _Dammit_. Why does he need to be so loud?" he growled into his pillow.

_"Open the door, Shao Fei!"_

He let out one more irritated growl, sat up, and with so much difficulty from his currently unwell state began scooting over to the edge of the bed. He sat there for a moment to collect himself first before he could carefully rise up to his feet to leave his bed.

After several times of tripping over some things on the floor and his own foot and almost crashing into the wall, he reached the front door.

_"Shao Fei! Open the damn—"_

Once the door opened, he shot his best glare to his so-called best friend who was standing in front of him, looking rather dumb with one hand hanging in the air and mouth open. If his head was not giving him a hard time at the moment, he would make sure that Zhao Zi got an earful response from him.

Not long Zhao Zi recovered to his normal self.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Shit. You look awful," Zhao Zi exclaimed.

"Yes. So shut your damn mouth and get lost," he told his friend. But knowing his friend, he was not surprised when he got pushed back inside and watched as his friend made his way into the flat.

"Seriously, you've actually been living in this barren place?" he heard his friend start commenting as the other was looking around his small place. "Ugh. What a wreck! Your bedroom looks like a shipwreck!"

He ignored Zhao Zi and went back to his bed.

Just when he was about to drift back to sleep, Zhao Zi's voice ruined it all.

"Don't go back to sleep yet, Ah Fei. I brought you breakfast. At least fill your stomach first!"

He only groaned to his pillow in return.

"Come on. Who knows the porridge might help ease your hangover," he heard at the same time he felt the side of his bed dip.

"'s not drunk," he mumbled to his pillow.

"Not drunk, you say? Come on! You are worse than drunk might I say. I know you must haven't eaten anything since I called you."

That did hit home.

This was what he hated and yet loved at the same time about Zhao Zi—not that he was going to admit it out loud, he was not that kind to give Zhao Zi that idea. The younger man had always been sharp despite his naiveté. Maybe it was their longtime friendship that had helped Zhao Zi understand him better than himself.

Zhao Zi knew whenever he was dealing with his anxiety or having difficult times, he mostly would lose his appetite. If only his friend knew just how many times it had happened to him within that month alone.

"Shao Fei, come on! Didn't you tell me you have stakeout today?" He felt one of his arms being tugged.

He groaned as it worsened his headache.

"Shao Fei!"

Feeling the incessant tugging and demanding voice not going to die down soon, he reluctantly let himself be dragged out of his bed to the living room, let his friend help him sit down, and let himself be pampered like he was a kid. He disinterestedly watched as Zhao Zi set up the breakfast for him, pulling out three different meal boxes from a tote bag.

"Here, you have to finish them all," Zhao Zi said after the foods were ready.

The younger male then went for the chair across from him, sat down, pulled out another meal box from the same tote bag, and without any word, started eating. He looked at Zhao Zi in disbelief. One moment ago his friend had been all nagging and now how could he just start eating as if nothing had just happened? Sometimes he did wonder how they had become best friends in the first place.

He shook his head and decided to pay mind to the food Zhao Zi had served for him.

They smelled good, home-made ones without a doubt. Though he was still having no appetite, seeing his friend's sincerity pushed him to not let his friend down.

He took the spoon to try the soup and almost moaned in delight for it not only smelled good but also tasted good. It reminded him of something.

"So I take it Jack's returned?" he said to his friend.

Zhao Zi nodded.

"I could not just let him get away with it. So I made him cook these all for you."

He looked at Zhao Zi in disbelief again, wondering which part of his friend that was able to make Jack go head over heels. Not that he underestimated his own best friend. But from the very beginning, Jack and Zhao Zi had started in a rather weird way, and soon as they had developed their relationship, Jack had always catered to his friend's need without complaining. Someone like Zhao Zi had been able to make someone like Jack's head over heels. He really was both astonished and simply puzzled. Well, not that it was his business to concern himself with.

Next, they ate in silence. Zhao Zi finished first and he gave up after the fifth time he brought the food to his mouth, his friend only giving him a look and a sigh.

"Now we're done with eating, let's get to the point."

He had to suppress his frustrated groan when Zhao Zi made it clear that he still owed Zhao Zi an explanation to the whole situation—a reason why he had sent a text yesterday. He knew it was his being stupid to let his fingers take an action before his brain could process the consequences of making his friend aware of it. The stalker, identity unknown, and whereabouts untraceable, was still lurking out there and he had no slightest idea of what the stalker might be able to do to him, whether things would be dangerous, or whether people around him would be at risk as well. The last one was the thing that concerned him the most. With Zhao Zi's being his best friend, if things went wrong, Zhao Zi might unexceptionally be one in danger. And he could not let that happen.

But now as they were only separated by a table, it would not be easy to ask his friend to just forget and change the topic and go on with their respective lives. His worrywart friend would not allow him.

He felt his head throb again.

And being cornered definitely made it worse.

Maybe, it would be better if he just told Zhao Zi everything so he could soon be left alone again and go back to bed.

Thus, he showed his friend the cardboard box that had arrived at his doorstep. Last night before he had gone to bed, he had left it next to the trash can. His friend zeroed in on the cardboard box before walking toward the box.

"Is it safe for me to see?" Zhao Zi asked him, voice full of uncertainty.

He shrugged and said, "Just take a look yourself."

Still looking uncertain, Zhao Zi picked up the box and brought it to the top of the table.

Zhao Zi carefully lifted the lid, leaving it open barely an inch to take a peek before closing the box again.

"What's this?" Zhao Zi asked.

"A bomb." He got a glare soon after saying that. He sighed. "Just take a look, okay?"

Zhao Zi did as he was told.

"Oh, _shit_!" Zhao Zi shrieked as he got a full sight of what was inside the box, obviously aware of what it hinted. His friend might be naïve at times, but this kind of thing was not a rare case in their field.

"Shao Fei, where did you get this from?"

"Found it at the doorstep yesterday."

" _Shit_! This is not good!" Zhao Zi said as he grabbed the photographs out from the box and frantically flipped through them over and over. " _Shit_! Shao Fei, this is crazy! You have a stalker!"

He felt like rolling his eyes but nodded instead.

"We should go to the police!"

He face-palmed. How did they become friends again?

"And what?"

"And get some help of course!"

He rubbed on his temple.

"Zhao Zi, you know it won't be that simple, don't you?" he reasoned. While it did make some sense to do as his friend suggested, by far he only had a stack of photographs, no address, and no other clue. What if the police thought it was just a prank? They needed more than those photographs.

"It doesn't matter. Right now your safety is what matters the most," Zhao Zi said.

He sighed.

One of his friend's traits he appreciated the most was his friend's protectiveness. Zhao Zi would not hesitate to protect people who mattered to him. Zhao Zi was what they called a loyal friend, a caring brother, even though he sometimes could be too naïve. That was why he could not involve Zhao Zi in this. His friend was too important to him. He would not let his friend be in danger for the second time because of him. What if this time turned to be more dangerous?

"No, Zhao Zi. You better stay out of this. I can handle it myself," he stressed.

"But Shao Fei, I am still your friend, aren't I? Let me help you. Don't bear everything on your own," his friend argued.

He looked into his friend's eyes and instantly regretted what he saw. His friend looked determined, ready to protect what mattered at all costs. He would never forgive himself if something bad happened to his friend.

"Zhao Zi," he called.

"What?"

"Let me do this on my own, okay?"

"B-but—"

"Wait! I'm not done," he interjected. "But if—you remember this—if things become worse and I need help, I'll tell you."

"Shao Fei..."

"I promise." He felt there was a lump in his throat after saying that.

Could he really do that? Could he really involve someone else again? Last time he had done that, he had ended up hurting more than he had expected. It had resulted in three years of secluding himself, hoping by doing so there would not be more people getting hurt because of him.

However, eventually, Zhao Zi had found him, now even offering him the help he believed he did not deserve.

What was he supposed to say to make his friend stay away?

"Alright. I understand," Zhao Zi said after a while. "But you better keep your promise, Ah Fei!"

He gave his friend an uneasy smile.

 

\---

 

The second package arrived three days later. This time he had just returned from another stakeout, exhausted from following another cheating husband and crouching down for almost an hour to capture the evidence. He had initially thought there would no more to come that he had decided it was safe to run his business again. But, he was wrong. It seemed like he had to put his business on hold for real.

He crouched to do a brief inspection, observing it from every side while expecting a clue about the sender. And he was disappointed as he found none, just like the first package.

It was bigger in size, and yet not as heavy as he had thought it would be, which was such a relief since he would not have trouble to carry it inside.

He wondered if it contained another stack of photographs. He shuddered at the thought.

Just how much perverse this person could be. What did they see in him actually to give them the motivation to do such unacceptable action?

He tore the wrapper until he uncovered a box similar to the first one he got. But when he opened the box, he several different things. First, he got a brown sealed envelope. He decided to save it for later. Second, he got a business card, with a name awfully familiar to him that left him confused. Next, he got a bottle of perfume, its scent vaguely reminding him of something. And last, he found a USB flash drive.

He went for the sealed envelope. He tore it open, extra careful to avoid tearing the content all along. Inside, he pulled the content out, finding some photographs again. There were only five of them and when he looked at them, his eyes widened at an unexpected picture of a man being tied down to the chair with a cloth stuffed in his mouth. Despite the not apparent physical damage, the desperate expression was enough to shake his peaceful state of mind.

The man in the picture was no stranger to him. While they had only met a few times, he had liked the man enough in a respectful way. What had the man done to receive such treatment? Who was actually behind all of this? And most importantly, why did they send the photographs to him?

He flipped through the pictures again to get a better look at them. The pictures must have been taken in some abandoned building since the lighting was not good. Behind the tied-up man stood two figures. But they were all wearing mask and clad in black. There was no way he could figure out what to do about it, even wondering if it were actually a prank. He tore his eyes away from the photographs because he felt more irritated the more he stared at them.

He then darted his eyes around the room, hoping for something to enlighten him.

That was when he saw the business card.

Immediately, he took the business card. He checked the name written on it before the name of the firm included there.

He gasped as he realized something.

The man in the photographs and the owner of the business card were a married couple. If he were not wrong, something big must have happened to them. He did not know what, but he could pay the owner of the business card a visit.

He dropped the business card and the photographs and paid his mind to the USB flash drive.

The screen of his notebook went alive as he opened the lid. After typing down the password, he waited for a moment before he could plug the USB flash drive into one of the USB portholes.

Several clicks later he was directed to the folder that was stored in the USB flash drive. There was only one file, a video. He double-clicked the video and waited for the media player program to play it for him.

When the black screen gradually faded out, a video replaced it and onscreen was the same tied-up man recorded up close to the point he could see the sweats on his face. The man's voice was muffled but through the man's eyes, he could tell how scared the man was.

The video barely lasted a minute, leaving him more frustrated because he had not gotten any clue about the location where the man was held captive. He clicked the play button again, and again, but still found nothing.

Seeing no point in expecting for anything else of it, he grabbed the box. He found nothing there.

And then his eyes somewhat darted to the envelope. He took it and looked into it.

That was when he found a scrap of paper.

How could he have missed it?

He revealed a handwritten letter.

 

 

 

> _'Hello, Meng Shao Fei. I believe you have seen both the photos and the video. The video was made in order to show you that everything you've just seen is real. Nothing's manipulated. It is also proof that our dear friend, a mere bystander, is currently in a dire situation. Anything is possible to happen to him. Knowing this, will you, someone who won't hesitate to bring bad people to justice, by any means let anything happen to our dear friend? That's yours to decide and I hope you won't disappoint me. _
> 
> _Do not waste too much time, because our dear friend's life is at stake._
> 
> _I hope I'll be seeing you soon._
> 
> _\- Yours Truly'_

 


	2. The Lawyer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's chapter 2.
> 
> Not yet proofread as usual.

The enormous building stood like a menacing figure that was challenging him to cross an imaginary line, a separator keeping some distance between him and the reality he had to face either he liked it or not. It felt even more so when he remembered it had been rather long since his last visit there.

Lowering his cap and straightening up the collar of his jacket, he glanced around to make sure no one was able to recognize him. For the final touch, he adjusted the sunglasses on his nose bridge, before he braced himself and took long strides to the entrance of the building.

Visiting any professional building, especially ones belonging to some well-known corporations, was one among his least favorites. He had to go through a security check, which meant being under scrutiny from some strangers before he could proceed to enter the building. And then what followed once he was inside was a nerve-wracking procedure consisting of filling in a guest book, answering to the receptionist’s inquiries, and waiting to be allowed to go to meet his goal.

This time, though it was not his first time being there, he still found the place suffocating him with those uptight smiles and worn-out pretense served for business purpose. Even the receptionist’s smile looked obviously fake he had to hold his cringe every time he saw it. At the front desk, he had to fake his smile even when he caught the receptionist sparing him a rude stare. She must have thought he had not noticed, but actually, behind the tinted glasses, his eyes had actively looked here and there. He definitely was not going to take them off for that purpose aside from his disguise purpose.

He passed the receptionist the business card he had received earlier when being asked on what purpose his visit that day was, of course, without forgetting his own version of ‘business’ smile. Then she politely asked him to wait for a moment while she made a call to inform the addressed person regarding his visit. Despite the brief yet non-so-discreet suspicious look he occasionally got from her, at least she performed her job professionally and she gave him the visitor access card at last so he could go to the person he was meant to meet.

The trip to the fifteenth floor was uneventful. Some people were bold enough to give him their judging looks. It most likely was because of his appearance. He could tell from the fact that almost everyone he had come across there wore business attire, including people who rode the same elevator. It sure irritated him, but he knew better than paying heed to them. He had more important business to finish and paying heed to irrelevant matters was not on the list.

Luckily, almost everyone riding the elevator was heading for the lower floors. The last person to leave the elevator before he got off as it reached the twelfth floor. It made the rest of his short trip so quiet save for the jazzy music softly playing in the background.

Not long after, the elevator dinged and its door opened again. He walked out and went straight to the office he still remembered to locate from his past visits before he had resigned from his former job.

Without knocking, he twisted the doorknob and invited himself into the office room. Currently, inside the room were a man sitting behind the desk and a woman who seemed to be the man’s personal assistant. Upon noticing his presence, the man immediately dismissed the woman. She walked past him the same time he walked past her on his way to the man’s desk.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” the man said, for some unknown reasons seeming reluctant to meet his eyes.

“Yes, it’s been a while. So _cut the crap_ _already,_ because I have no time to deal with your _crap_.”

The man finally averted his attention to him and leaned back on his recliner seat.

“Rude as ever. Even worse now. I thought the whole three years keeping a low profile were enough to put some sense to you.”

“Jiang Jin Teng, I’m not here to listen to your _shits_. You _know_ why I am here. You _know_ very well that I hate being here the most. Spill it out so I can finally have my peaceful life back.”

Jiang Jin Teng stared at him in silence, observing him—or to be precise, judging him as usual. He thanked his past experiences in dealing with the snobbish lawyer for his resistance to that. There was no way he would be subdued that easily.

After some indeterminate moment, Jin Teng put an end to his silent observation. The lawyer leaned over the desk with both hands propping his head.

“You are right, Shao Fei. I am indeed quite well-informed on why you’re here standing in front of me and my desk,” Jin Teng sighed.

Then he remembered the second package, the photographs, the videos, and the business card—Jin Teng’s business card. _Man, it must be really bad one._

“Jin Teng, what happened? Have you done _something_?” he asked the lawyer, this time in a calmer voice.

Jin Teng took a deep breath and exhaled. “Some _things_ , actually.”

“Things that led to Yi Chen’s current situation?” he guessed.

Jin Teng sighed again.

“So you’ve figured it out,” Jin Teng asked.

“No. Not that much.”

“No?” the lawyer looked taken aback. “What have you got then?”

It did not take long for him to recall, for everything the packages contained had been ingrained too deep in his memory.

“Photos—five of them? Your business card? A flash drive containing a video? Also… a letter,” he mentioned.

“What did the letter say?”

He shrugged. “Something about Yi Chen—that Yi Chen’s life is in danger.”

Jin Teng’s face fell.

“Won’t you tell me what exactly you have done to put him in trouble?”

The man bowed down his head, eyes closed and breathe intake audible.

“To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t fucking care if it were you alone caught in trouble. But Yi Chen? Seriously, hasn’t he got _enough_ already? Give him a break, won’t you?”

He was not particularly sure about why he suddenly was so close to bringing up something that should not be brought up at the moment. Was it because of his frustration? Even such reasoning could not be justified; he was very aware of that.

“Jin Teng, what exactly does that person _want_ from me?” he tried again.

A moment later, the lawyer looked up again and their eyes met.

“ _He_ wants to meet you.”

_Huh? What? The stalker did that just to meet him?_

“ _He_ threatened me, using Yi Chen to blackmail me.”

He went still after hearing the man’s answer. One thing he could infer was that the stalker might be more dangerous, more psychotic than he thought. To go as far as kidnapping and confining someone innocent only to fulfill their fantasy was something that lunatic would do. Now after he learned that he might have no other choice but to meet the stalker, he had to learn that he might be unable to see his future as well.

However, something else occurred to him.

“Jin Teng, you _know_ the person. You _know_ who’s behind this,” he stated.

And Jin Teng looked taken aback a little as if he had just spilled something that was supposed to remain a secret.

“Who is it? Who’s behind this shit?” he leaned closer, deliberately, to intimidate the lawyer.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“He made sure I won’t tell you.”

He narrowed his eyes at Jin Teng.

“Then it should be okay if I just run away, right?”

“What? No! Don’t do that!” Jin Teng snapped.

“What? I don’t even know who this person is. How am I supposed to this person?” he argued.

“J-just wait, okay?”

“Wait? Wait for what?”

“He may send you something again.”

He looked at Jin Teng in disbelief. He could not help but wonder if this—everything that had happened to him as of late—turned out as some prank Jin Teng pulled on him. In a sense, it was possible, since they had never been in good terms.

Therefore, he shot the other a final look and said, “Tell you what. I’m leaving. You take care of it on your own.”

He was about to step away from the lawyer but was instantly held back.

“Wait! You can’t do that, Shao Fei! Help me take Yi Chen back to me,” asked Jin Teng whose hand tightening around his wrist to prevent him from leaving. He narrowed his eyes again at the other man.

“You know, it’s probably better this way,” he whispered. The lawyer gave a confused look. He continued, “Don’t act like you know nothing, _jerk_. All shits you’ve done to Yi Chen, thanks to some client of mine, I can tell you all of them.”

Jin Teng grabbed him by his collar, full of force that he felt it was enough to make him stand on the tips of his toes.

“You—” The close distance made him able to see the other’s eyes bulging out, veins visible on the white balls. He could also feel the harsh intake of breath, an attempt to hold back a wave of anger.

“What? Yi Chen knows all of them, too. He knows what you did behind his back. Maybe this is how he finally will be _free_ for real.”

“You, _little shit_ , I swear if you dare say more—”

“Were those whores really much better than your own husband? Now you only care when he’s taken from you,” he could not help but taunt the man a little more, just to see if the man still deserved his help.

“You know nothing!” The man snapped at him in return.

It was his turn to be taken aback as he observed the man. From his past experiences, never once had he seen Jin Teng so distressed, deeply affected by something. Even back during difficult trials, he had never found the lawyer lost his composure. Maybe he was wrong—had been wrong—about the lawyer. Maybe Jin Teng was just like people in general—still prone to certain things.

He watched as the man could not contain the emotions anymore. All at once, gone was the stoic top-notch lawyer. Now, in front of him was an ordinary human being having a hard time to control his anger.

“You know nothing, Meng Shao Fei. You have no idea how the guilt has been consuming me. I know I’m wrong! I know I don’t deserve Yi Chen!” Jin Teng cried out.

It did not take long for the lawyer to become a crying mess. “But I don’t want to lose him! I need him! I need him back to me again, Shao Fei! I want him back!”

However, he did not feel any sympathy toward Jin Teng, not when the image of crying Yi Zhen suddenly flashed inside his head. He could not sympathize.

“Please…” the man whispered in between the sobs. “Please… help me, Shao Fei.”

Agitated by the sight before him, he grasped the hands that were still clutching his collars and wrenched them off.

And without a warning, he punched the man straight in the face.

It sent the man to the ground. It was not the strength—he did not even mean to make the punch that powerful. Instead, it mostly was due to the element of surprise that hit an unprepared man, effectively stopping the crying.

He felt his knuckles tingling, wincing as he thought of them bruised.

After a moment of silence and a gulp of air, he stared down at the lawyer and asked, “Why _me_?”

Jin Teng did not answer right away, seeming to be in the process of recovering from the sudden attack.

“Answer me, Jin Teng. Why does it have to be me?” he asked again.

When he still got no answer, he moved toward Jin Teng and grabbed the man by the collars, forcing him to stand up again.

“Answer me, Jin Teng!” he snapped close to the man’s face.

They stared into each other’s eyes for an indeterminate time.

Only after that, Jin Teng told him in a small trembling voice, “Because it can only be _you.”_

 

\---

 

He spent the rest of that day thinking about his latest conversation—or more likely the outcome of his confrontation—with Jiang Jin Teng.

Back at home, he mulled over the various possibilities of why it had to be him of all available options. People with a position like Jiang Jin Teng should have many connections. Without a doubt, the aforementioned lawyer should also have several acquaintances with power—or capabilities at least—to deal with such a situation.

So the question was why it had to be _him_ —him who did not have the slightest idea about his relation to the kidnapping of Jiang Jin Teng’s spouse. Who was this insane person that had an idea to kidnap a person only to get to _him_? What had he done to deserve this? Sure if it were the past him, he could relate. Back then he had probably made some enemies from the nature of his job. But in the present, where he had quit, it really made no sense. Or was the one behind this actually someone from his past? But who might it be?

He pulled his hair in frustration.

If he were allowed to be more honest, he actually would not care about it. He did not want to be entangled. But knowing that the person behind this had been stalking him, even having made it clear through Jin Teng that he was what the stalker wanted, he could not just ignore it all. Besides, there was Yi Chen. The lawyer’s husband had sort of become a friend to him. How could he just let Yi Chen caught in the danger Yi Chen definitely did not deserve?

He was not that heartless.

He had to stop the stalker.

He had to save Yi Chen at all costs.

And to do that, he needed a plan.

Where should he start from?

Should he just go look up the answer from the list of people he had ever offended in the past?

But that would at least require access to the Police Department directory.

Should he ask Zhao Zi for help?

_No._

He should not do that. He should not involve Zhao Zi in this.

If he really had to get access, he needed to find someone else, someone who was capable and trustworthy.

_But who?_

He pulled out his hair again, feeling himself sinking deeper into his own rumination.

Only it did not last long. Because then his phone decided to break the silence.

He frowned at the abrupt intrusion.

Fishing out his phone from the pocket, he frowned even more at an unknown number that appeared on the phone screen. Despite the doubt, he still picked up the call.

 

\---

 

It was midnight already when he reached his flat building again.

He could not believe it. Why had he even accepted that insane client’s request?

The call that had happened a few hours ago had come from one of his former clients. He had once helped her expose her husband’s illicit affair. Despite some unnecessary drama that had followed, he had successfully done his job and she had been pleased by the outcome.

It had been a real surprise when out of the blue she had called him again, saying she urgently needed his help again. Since he had no heart to refuse some desperate woman’s calling out for help, he had agreed to meet her, only to discover some sickening truth about the woman—something he should have found out back when he had helped her for the first time.

It had then come to one disastrous event. It turned out that his client had been a cheater all along. Her husband turned out to be a pitiful man, a victim of his own wife’s deceit, the betrayed one.

At the appointment location, he had discovered that she had planned everything to cover up her own affair. For the second time, she had planned to make up another story about her husband. Unfortunately for her, that night her plan had gone wrong and her husband had appeared out of nowhere. Having little to none understanding about the whole thing, he could only stand there bewildered and watch the married couple quarrel in front of him. It had been so embarrassing, even to him who had obviously gotten nothing to do with it, had the woman not decided to involve him in the first place.

He had wanted to confront the woman for her wrongdoings, but he had stopped before he had even started. Because deep down, he had realized that he was no different than her. It would not be the appropriate thing to do if he solely wanted that to justify his own mistakes in the past.

So that very moment, he had decided to go home, to escape before he got involved even more.

He let out a big sigh as he reached the floor where his flat was located.

_What a shitty day indeed._

He took lazy steps toward his flat, worn out, both mentally and physically.

But the sight of a package on his doorstep halted him in his tracks.

The third package had arrived.

Becoming alert, he immediately looked around. Seeing no one else around, he assumed the package had been put there when he had been out.

He picked up the box and unlocked the door. Once he was inside, he then began tearing the wrapper from the package. This one still had no address attached or written on either side, so he just kept tearing the wrapper until he could finally see what was inside the box.

He found more photographs of him. There were only ten photos, less than the first he had gotten. This time they had been taken during his visit to Jiang Jin Teng’s firm. They were photos of him taken from the moment he had emerged from his flat building, then on his way to the company—the stalker had managed taken ones on the public transportations—until the moment he had been standing outside the firm building.

He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, realizing how stupid and reckless he had been for having forgotten about the stalker. It was lucky for him that the stalker had not done anything dangerous to him, despite the fact that those photographs still creeped him out. At least there had been no direct actions taken yet—he hoped nothing would happen in the future.

Aside from the photographs, he found a scrap of paper—a short letter.

He took it out and read it.

 

> _‘Hello again, Meng Shao Fei._
> 
> _I believe our dear lawyer Jiang has told you what you have to do to save our dear friend. I dare you to run away, but remember this: **our dear friend’s still waiting for you to save him**._
> 
> _Yours Truly.’_

 

Feeling the bile rising in his throat, he crumpled the note and threw it away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yeah... that's the main couple from HIStory1 - Obsessed Jiang Jin Teng and Shao Yi Chen.


	3. The Chauffeur (M)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to you who have spared your time to read this fanfiction and left me kudos/comments.
> 
> After a long while of nothing, here's chapter 3. As usual, I have no proofreader and may revise this in the unforeseen future.
> 
> Enjoy!

The day after the third package, he anticipated another one to come, placed on the doorstep again so one of his feet might bump into it the moment he was heading out. He hated to admit that it had somewhat gotten into him and while his brain had not stopped telling him to run, with Yi Chen’s life in danger and Jiang Jin Teng currently being a useless _ass_ , he had no choice but to stay and wait for what was coming to him. So that morning, instead of heading to the breakfast place he regularly visited, he sat and waited, fingers tapping on the table and eyes drifting back and forth to the closed door.

And, in a rather magical way, he heard some knocking on the door.

In no time he went for the door and unlocked it.

But the second he opened the door, rather than some delivery man with a package, he got a surprise in the form of someone he had not seen for so long.

“ _Jack_? What are you doing here?” he wondered out loud, baffled at the red-haired man.

The sinister smile on Jack’s face that came after still made him feel uneasy.

“I’m here to fetch you,” the red-haired man said.

“Are you here with Zhao Zi?” he asked.

“No, I’m not.”

“Then was it Zhao Zi who asked you to come here?”

“Nope.”

“Uh, okay. But you know, Jack,” he paused, distracted again when he saw Jack begin playing with the familiar butterfly knife, “I suggest you do not play with your knife around Zhao Zi.” He paused again as he internally winced at the way the knife seemed so close to cut Jack’s fingers when it snapped.

He went on, “I mean you know how he is. He’s going to be all curious and then will go ‘ _I want to try it, too_ ’. Knowing how clumsy he sometimes is, he’ll probably end up hurting himself when doing so.”

Jack only flashed him a mysterious smile and said, “Let’s go,” paying no heed to what he had said at all before he turned around and walked away.

It was rude and he wanted to scold the rude guy, but seeing Jack not easily shrugging him off like that, he doubted that his scolding would be heard. At this, he sincerely admired his best friend for being able to tame such _being_.

He hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether it was a good idea to follow the man. Even if the man had become an important person to his best friend, he still could not completely shake off the thought that there was something off about the man. While the man might act all good to Zhao Li An, the same thing did not apply to other people. In conclusion, the red-haired man his best friend was so infatuated with remained dangerous and should not be fully trusted yet.

Therefore, it was out of his curiosity that he decided to follow the man’s lead. He still wanted to know why the red-haired man had shown up out of the blue. Was there something he had missed? Even so, the sudden appearance bore an unsettling vibe.

On their way to wherever the red-haired man was leading them to, his brain could not quit reminding him to either stay alert or to just turn around and hide back in his small flat, locked away from anything else. If only that was the possible situation. When it involved the dangerous man in front of him, there were always unpredictable things to happen. Who knew what might happen the second he rushed back to his flat, door locked and some heavy furniture pushed against it to prevent it from being opened despite the ruined lock? Jack might still be able to get in and drag him away with whatever unthinkable ways the red-haired man attempted.

It was getting worse as he was nearing the main entrance of the building.

And he regretted not listening to it once he saw an oddly familiar black four-wheeled vehicle was parked on the roadside. Jack was not helping at all as he saw Jack heading for the car.

His heart almost dropped.

He wished it had been Jack’s motorbike that he was looking at.

He wished he had not followed Jack in the first place.

There arrived the inevitable moment.

Even if he could make a turn and escape, he was sure that Jack would not allow that to happen. The determination he saw in Jack could tell him that.

All he could do was to stand rooted there and watched Jack speak to someone in the passenger seat. After nodding his head, Jack turned to him.

“Get in the car.”

 

\---

 

It felt worse—so much worse—to be inside the car. All at once, the comfort and luxury the car provided became insignificant.

He stiffly sat. He did neither dare look away from his own trembling hands and did not dare make any sound. And if it were possible, he might as well have stopped breathing.

The soft humming of the vehicle was the only thing that could be heard over the deafening silence.

He had no idea where they were heading for.

The only thing that occurred to him was the feeling of an intense stare directed his way.

“I see you’ve grown your hair out,” he heard the person next to him say. “It really suits you.”

He said nothing.

“It’s a pity that that awful sweater and that worn-out jeans have to ruin the supposedly good look.”

He still had nothing to say.

“And you sure did not joke when you said you could sleep almost anywhere. What I cannot comprehend is why it has to be a rundown place, instead of one that provides the best to cater to your needs.”

He flinched as the man out of sudden made a move, leaning his way. He tried to calm down his heart that was beating faster than it did normally, all the while anticipating what the person was going to do to him.

“Here, take this to calm yourself.”

A bottle of mineral water was passed over to him. The action surprised him so much that he reactively looked up to the person that was handing him the bottle.

“What? I did not put some drug in it,” the man said.

Shakily, he took the bottle, finding its cap had already been opened and gulped down the water.

Once he was done, he put the cap back and went still again.

But then not long after, he suddenly felt sleepy. He tried to shake it off but to no avail. He blinked his eyes several times in the hope to keep himself awake. Still, he could not stop it.

In the end, he vaguely heard the person next to him giving an order to Jack before the darkness took away his consciousness.

 

\---

 

He woke up, but eyes remaining shut and consciousness not fully regained, to feather-like touches. He felt something caress one of his cheekbones. It then brushed the small area around his jawline in the gentlest way he had never felt for long.

The touch lingered for a moment before it slipped away, leaving his skin tingle as it already longed for it to come back there.

He almost begged for it.

But, of course, it was impossible. It could not happen when he was not fully awake.

And then it returned, but now around his neck, with more pressure.

Still, in his hazy state, he gradually came to realize that it was a hand. Its palm felt warm against his skin as the tips of its fingers lazily trailed along his jawline.

Whose hand was it?

Certainly, it did not belong to him. The palm was wider, fingers longer than his. Besides, both of his hands currently were lying immobile by his sides.

So whose hand was it?

The lazy stroking went on and he already almost swayed all over again.

But it felt somewhat wrong.

It felt wrong because it was too good.

It was too good that it became sickening.

And that sickening sensation was what jerked him awake.

Both eyes wide open, his breath hitched as he woke up face to face with the same person who had been with him in the car.

_Car?_

He then realized they were no longer in a car. Gone was the soft humming sound of the car engine. In its place, he heard a rustling sound.

Where was he?

He blinked his eyes, once, twice, until he became completely aware of his current situation, his position—in which he was lying under someone else’s pining.

Immediately, once he fully regained his consciousness, at last, he shoved the man away from him with all his might.

“ _What the fuck_?” came the reaction from the man.

Taking advantage of the moment, he quickly scrambled out of the bed and ran toward the door. He reached for the doorknob, twisted it, and found it was locked.

_Shit._

There was no way out.

Turning his back to the door, his throat felt dry at the man he had just shoved a few seconds ago who was now standing by the bedside, looking all dangerous with his tall build and cold expression. He felt himself shivering from that alone.

“Y-you…” he heard himself mutter under his breath, his voice wavering.

As if responding to him, the man began moving his way. The movement reminded him of some panther on the prowl.

“ _You_?” the man scoffed. “You don’t even want to say my name?”

He reflexively stepped backward and gasped as his back bumped against the door.

The man kept approaching. He panicked.

He frantically looked around the room in search of a way to get out of there. But, of course, there was none. The only door that led to the outside was the one behind him. Another door led to the bathroom. Looking at the other side of the room, there were windows, which were out of the question since they were protected by grills.

Desperate, he could only keep his eyes on the other man.

“T-Tang Yi… No,” he shook his head vigorously as the man was only a few steps away from him.

“Where do you think you’re going, _Xu Jun Hao_?” Tang Yi asked, before sneering. “Or… should I call you _Meng Shao Fei_?”

His already trembling heart trembled even more at the first-mentioned name. He had not heard that name the three years he had gone to his hiding place.

“Which one? You know you no can’t go anywhere, don’t you?”

He shook his head again, denying the fact that he was now resembling nothing but a cornered prey.

“T-Tang Yi, p-please,” he stuttered.

“Please what?”

Tang Yi’s cold and deep voice made him shiver.

“P-please, let me go.”

Next, he almost cried out as he had not anticipated the slam of Tang Yi’s hand against the door right by his side.

“Let you go?” Tang Yi gave him a mocking smile. “Don’t be ridiculous. Instead of asking for that, you better prepare yourself for what’s coming for you.”

 

\---

 

At that very moment, he felt like his skin _burned_.

 

_It burned along with shallow scrapes._

_So shallow they burned him._

_They burned him, unforgiving._

_He was dying._

_Its process was hellish slow._

_It dragged him to infinite horror._

_It left him nothing but agony._

_He felt like begging, begging for mercy he did not deserve._

_He wanted to scream, so loud until nothing was left inside._

_He wanted it all, nothing but the pain to go away._

 

“What’s the matter?” came a concerned voice, stopping what was happening to him, pulling him back to reality from whatever world he had wandered off to.

His eyes fluttered open. They met Tang Yi’s eyes right away.

“Hey, answer me,” Tang Yi asked.

They stared into each other for what seemed to be an eternity, his eyes in dazed and Tang Yi’s eyes full of concern, before he finally got over his dazed state and looked away. Tang Yi did not allow him through. For the split second he shifted his eyes, a hand caught his face and held it in place, not permitting it to move at all with its little firm grip.

“Let’s just continue,” he said instead, without so much difficulty because he had to keep his indifference.

Tang Yi frowned. “Are you sure?”

He nodded.

A heavy silence filled in the empty space between them, occupying what words could not define. The concerned look had not left Tang Yi’s face for some more time, but Tang Yi’s hands started moving again.

Soon he felt a thumb on his bottom lip, caressing it as though asking for permission before a pair of lips replaced the thumb and acclaimed his own lips.

He closed his eyes and held back his choke as the _torture_ began again, picking up what had been left by the torture that preceded some minutes ago.

 

_One scrape, two scrapes, three scrapes, the number increased._

_They increased as the time ticked by._

_The burning feeling was back._

_It burned like a bitch._

_Then somewhere a pain flared up._

_He felt like screaming out._

_It was so painful it burned him even more._

_He wanted to scream, begging for help._

_But too lost in the abyss he was._

_Its darkness swallowed him, his voice, his everything._

_He was decapitated, his wings torn, gunned down._

_There was no way out._

 

The _torture_ went on for so long and during the whole process, he did his best to hold back whatever reactions he wanted to let out. He could not show them, knowing very well what would happen if he made even the tiniest sound. Thus he lied there, in surrender even though it was burning him, and waited. He waited for what might occur a decade later.

 

_The fire was back._

_It was back and increasingly intense._

_Now not only his surface got burned, but his core also got burned._

_He waited as the torture kept going on. He waited until he felt life was leaving him. He could feel every part of him was leaving him nothing but an empty shell._

_And then it stopped. It died down._

_Everything became silent again._

 

\---

 

He did not dare open his eyes. He just waited there with labored breath and frayed sanity.

Was it really over now? He wanted to ask but knew better than to do so. Clinging to what was left in himself was all he could do for now.

Letting the time decide it all for him, he willed himself to just sink in the darkness. It was another torturously slow process. He felt like he was crawling there.

Was he really crawling though? Could it be called crawling?

Because he could not move his feet at all. They had been crippled that all he could rely upon was both of his hands. It was so much worse than the baby crawl. Even a baby was more capable than he was.

Again, he wanted to let out the heavy burden within his chest.

He wanted to scream it out until he lost his voice.

But it was stupid to think when he knew he had already lost his _voice_.

“Jun Hao,” the deep and breathy voice returned. A nose nudged the shell of his ear.

He heard it. He could hear it well.

But for some reason, he did not react. He could not bring himself to react to it.

Maybe, it was because he was too lost. He was lost that he had no ability to differentiate which was not real and which was real.

That was until he heard, “ _Shao Fei_.” mentioned by the same person, Tang Yi, accompanied by a hand that was stroking his bare torso.

First, he went still, frozen, shell-shocked. The hand on his torso followed to stop moving.

“ _Shao Fei_?” Tang Yi called again, this time sounding uncertain.

The hand started to move again. It moved and moved until it reached the crook between his neck and shoulder.

That was when he decided to open his eyes.

“I see it now. Apparently, the one you preferred is the real one,” Tang Yi whispered, this time the lips so close to one of his ears they almost touched.

“Did you miss me?”

He flinched a little, for the warm breath tickled his sensitive part.

“I missed this, you, _us_. I waited _there_. The suffering was real I almost lost it. I longed for this warmth, moments like this. How about you?”

He shut his eyes.

He tried to shut himself, to pretend that he had not heard the question at all. Tang Yi, however, was persistent.

“Why did you never come? Almost three years I was there, how could I never see you? Have you never wanted to see me again at all?”

Why did the number of questions increase? Could he just have some rest?

He tried to make a small movement, testing his limbs, to see if he was not too numb to move. And once he found it was good enough to move, he carefully turned around, intending to make his back face the other person, only to be stopped right away.

“No, don’t give me that.” As soon as he moved, both of Tang Yi’s hands grabbed him by his shoulders to prevent what he was about to do and keep him still on his back. “You don’t just turn your back on me. Face me. Talk to me.”

He did not obey the other man, keeping his eyes shut to do so since turning his back on the man was no longer an option. And yet, the more he refused, the more the other man persisted.

“Open your eyes and look into my eyes,” the other man admonished. “ _Shao Fei_.”

Hearing his name being mentioned in a warning tone, he reluctantly opened his eyes. But the second their gazes met, he looked away as quick as he could make it.

“Shao Fei, say something,” the man uttered, now sounding a little bit pleading. “Tell me, do you miss me, too?”

Unable to withstand that anymore, he steeled himself and met Tang Yi’s eyes again.

“No, I don’t miss you, Tang Yi. _Never_ ,” he stated, feeling somewhat proud of himself because the words left his mouth without too much effort.

 


	4. Welcome Home Dear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to you who have spared your time to read this fanfiction and left me kudos/comments.
> 
> I hope this doesn't come out as weird as I thought.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Shao Fei, eat.”

He had heard it for the second time already. It sounded like a parent’s voice during scolding a child.

His eyes swept over the healthy meal served in front of him and it only resulted in his stomach protesting against the foods. No matter how appealing they looked, no matter how delicious they might taste, he simply had no appetite to feast on them.

“You haven’t eaten anything since last night,” Tang Yi said again, and he wanted to correct that by saying, ‘I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday noon actually,’ but opted to let that be and flickered his eyes from the foods to the man sitting across from him and back to the foods.

“Shao Fei, you don’t want to die that soon, do you? It won’t be funny if you die from starving yourself while inside this place.” He could hear the annoyance latching the voice as Tang Yi was admonishing him. “Just eat something first, so you can leave after that.”

The word ‘leave’ was like a trigger for him. Tang Yi must have known how he wanted to return to his own place so bad. Without waiting to be told again, he began eating, picking up the sandwich after he drank a little amount of water. As expected, his stomach protested even more as the sandwich entered his digestive system. To ease it up, he drank some water again.

“What’s wrong?” The question made him look up to Tang Yi, all surprised to see a bare concern upon the man’s face.

He shook his head in return and continued on eating, of course still with much struggle. He could only hope that he would not throw them up later.

He ate at a slow pace, too slow even, but that was enough. At least, he might not have to suffer from gastritis later.

“I’m done,” Tang Yi said out of the blue, making him look up from his meal to watch the man wipe his mouth with a napkin. “I’m required to attend an early meeting today. After you’ve done, you may leave. Jack will drive you there. But,” Tang Yi paused, “But remember, you are to return here once you’ve packed up your stuff. Do you understand?”

He dropped whatever he had been holding instantly.

“Do you understand?” Tang Yi repeated.

He swallowed first, letting his brain to process the words first.

Then he asked the man, “What if I refuse?”

It earned him a sneer from the man.

“Refuse? Don’t make me laugh.”

He narrowed his eyes, not liking the way he was being an object of mockery.

“I am serious,” he pressed.

Tang Yi sneered for a little more before becoming serious again.

“You want to go? Do it then,” Tang Yi said, and for a brief moment he felt hopeful, almost missing the annoyed expression that flashed on Tang Yi’s face.

Tang Yi then leaned forward, briefly sneered, and in menacing voice said, “Do it and let’s see what will happen to that lawyer’s husband. And after I get rid of him, I can do the same thing to the triumph card— _that dear friend of yours_. What’s his name again? Zhao… Li… An?”

And just like that, the tiny hope that had just developed instantly lost because of the revelation.

“So now I suggest that you don’t jump the gun this time,” was Tang Yi’s final words before the man got up and left him alone, shell-shocked on his seat.

 

\---

 

The ride came to a full stop two hours later, or so he thought because, during the trip from Tang Yi’s place back to his flat building, he had been too lost into his own trance. Ever since breakfast, he had not been able to stop thinking about Tang Yi’s words, especially regarding Yi Chen and his best friend.

The revelation had become a big shock to him. Tang Yi had dropped the bomb so suddenly he had barely reacted to it. But once it had finally sunk in, he still found it hard to believe.

Had Tang Yi really told him the truth?

“Meng Shao Fei, are you alright?”

He could not see Jack’s face because of their sitting positions.

“Why do you care?” he deadpanned.

There was no answer coming from the red-haired man. Thus, he went on, “You know, don’t you?”

“Yes and no,” though a little belated, Jack told him.

He scoffed, more at the fact that he had just asked the obvious, than Jack’s response to the question.

“Then what’s in it for you this time? You still don’t look like the type who’ll do something voluntarily.”

Their eyes met through the rearview-mirror.

“I take it Zhao Li An has not known this yet,” he added challengingly.

Their staring battle lasted for a moment. Not getting any response from the red-haired man, he moved and exited the car.

 

\---

 

Back inside his little space, he could not stand it all anymore. By the time the door shut behind him, his resolve crumbled at once. He sat on the floor, eyes empty and breath shuddered.

He could barely register everything that was happening to him.

There were so many unsolved questions. But he had no more energy to process everything because he had been too drained by what he had gone through yesterday. He was still unable to believe that he had been with Tang Yi for almost 24 hours that day. He had been picked up from his place, drugged on their way to Tang Yi’s place ( _shit_ , he had almost forgotten that part), and been _fucked_. Those had happened in one day.

He had not even gotten over the abrupt discovery of Tang Yi’s early release from jail. How had Tang Yi managed to get that? Why had he not heard any of that? Was it only him not knowing?

Then there was more than that. The truth behind the series of mysterious packages he had gotten as of late; that he had not even thought that they had come from Tang Yi, not expecting to be found when he had gone by a different name in his hiding place. Who had helped Tang Yi?

The revelation terrified him. It terrified him because now after he had been found he could not escape. He had no choice other than to obey. Even more so when Zhao Li An’s name was back in the picture along with Jiang Jin Teng’s spouse.

_Jiang Jin Teng._

Was this what Jiang Jin Teng had been keeping from him?

To know it had been Tang Yi’s doing, he was not even sure if he had any word to express what he was feeling now.

_No._

This must have been Tang Yi’s way to return what he had done to Tang Yi after they had had sex. He knew it had been cruel of him to say something like that. Even he had felt hurt after he had said that.

But what should he have done? He only wanted to be let go.

 _Free. Free from everything_.

_Just like how he had always wished for._

He got up and went toward his closet.

He opened the door and located two big cardboard boxes. After taking one of them out from the closet, he carried it with him and put it down as he sat down on his bed.

He took a deep breath and opened the box, revealing colorful mini paper cranes that almost filled the entire space inside the box. He took one of the cranes and stared at it, frowning as the unpleasant memories began flooding his mind.

 

\---

 

Later in the afternoon, Zhao Li An made a surprise visit. He had been in the middle of sorting the things he needed to pack when he had heard the knock on the door. He had not thought it would be Zhao Li An because his friend had not shouted out his name while announcing himself.

“I thought you’d still be not at home again,” the younger man said while putting down some boxed meals on the table. He raised one brow at them, wondering if Jack had made them. If it turned out that way, he was not sure he would have an appetite to eat them.

“Where were you?” he heard Zhao Li An ask.

He shrugged, “Nowhere important.”

“Don’t lie to me,” but, of course, Zhao Li An would not buy that so easily, “If there’s nothing important about it, then why did it take so long for you to return here?”

 _Shit._ How did his friend even know that?

“Did you stalk me or something?” he asked, trying to avert the conversation in another direction.

“Don’t even try to change our conversation, Ah Fei,” Zhao Li An warned.

He sighed and sat on the chair.

“Answer me, Ah Fei.”

He looked up and saw Zhao Li An already occupying the other chair across from him.

“I met someone,” he said, internally begging for Zhao Li An not asking more.

“Who?”

 _Double shit_.

“Someone I used to know.”

“Who?”

_Triple shit._

“Zhao Li An, why do you really want to know? Are you my mother now?”

He got awarded with a deadpan look in return. It made him feel even more uneasy to go on with his intent to lead their talk somewhere else. While continue to lie might be a possibly good choice, his friend was not seeming easy to convince at all at the moment. And after he had met Tang Yi again—and would most likely be with Tang Yi for unforeseen time—Zhao Li An soon or later would find out, be it from him or on his own. The remaining question was whether it would be safe for Zhao Li An to know.

Seeing no other way out, he opted to tell and left the detail untold.

“I was with Tang Yi,” he said.

They were quiet for a while.

“You do know I am not in the mood to joke, don’t you?” Zhao Li An broke the silence first.

He nodded.

“I know. That’s why I told you the truth.”

They were quiet again and he waited for Zhao Li An’s reaction.

“You are serious,” Zhao Li An stated rather than asked.

He rolled his eyes. But soon as he turned his attention to his friend, he felt sorry for his friend’s tortured expression. By seeing such a twisted look, he could tell how it must be difficult for his friend to process the whole thing when they had just discussed the stalker incident not so long ago. This time, instead of having some unwinding conversation, he had broken such bad news to his friend.

Next, he kind of expected Zhao Li An to start ranting about his meeting with Tang Yi, probably going on how he had been careless for not informing Zhao Li An as soon as it had happened, or probably going straight to the point by warning him not to see Tang Yi ever again no matter what, that Zhao Li An would go and confront Tang Yi if necessary. He could imagine that really happened in barely a minute later.

However, as the twisted look did not change to the usual on-fire look Zhao Li An would wear when ranting or scolding him, he became concerned.

“What’s wrong?” he inquired as Zhao Li An worried at his lip.

“Uh, Shao Fei, actually,” his friend paused, looking hesitant to go on, so he prompted, “What?” and his friend continued, “I have something to say.”

“And what is that?”

Zhao Li An worried at his lip more.

“Zhao Li An, don’t just hang your friend like this.”

Zhao Li An’s eyes looked into his eyes and then drifted somewhere else before they met his eyes again.

“Ah Fei, promise me you won’t be mad after I tell you.”

He was skeptical but nodded.

“The truth is,” Zhao Li An hesitated, and he inclined his head to gesture to his friend to proceed, and Zhao Li An did. “I have known it before you did.”

“What have you known before I did?”

His friend’s face scrunched up.

“I knew about Tang Yi’s early release.”

He leaned backward and gave his friend an incredulous stare.

 

\---

 

He angrily shoved his clothes into his duffel bag, not even perturbed by the thought of what impact his careless action might have on them. He simply was too mad to care, too distraught to focus himself on them. If he did not remember that he was not that loaded to afford a new wardrobe, he might as well burn them to dust to unleash his frustration.

Just how much more did people need to test his patience? He had enough on his plate already. Why could they not understand? Why would they not try to understand?

And to discover that his own best friend of all people had kept a very important matter from him, he had no idea how to deal with that.

Why did Zhao Li An have to do so?

_“I did it to keep you safe!”_

Even if his friend had done such a thing for his sake, he could not accept that he had been kept in the dark.

_“I know why you went into hiding in the first place, Ah Fei. I know how you want to forget everything and move on. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”_

His friend’s words would have warmed his heart, had those not been said after such revelation.

He realized how immature he had been to literally push his friend out of his flat as he had not been able to contain his emotions anymore. Such action was rude and he should not justify it.

However, his disappointment mostly stemmed from the realization where things could have been different had he known the truth earlier. He would not have to deal with Tang Yi’s plan to confine him in Tang Yi’s fortress. He would not have to worry himself about his friend and Yi Chen’s safety—not that he would pay no mind to them, but not having to worry about their safety would give him more peace.

Why could he not live his life without having such an unnecessary obstacle? How to let them know that all he ever wanted was to live his life in peace, with neither being burdened by nor becoming a burden to someone else.

All he wanted at the moment was to be left alone.

That was it, and yet people would not just let him be.

He zipped the bag and dropped himself next to it on the bed.

He let a long heavy sigh before sweeping his eyes around his tiny space. It had not many, to begin with, so now after he had packed his things up, the room seemed even emptier.

He lifted his legs up to the bed, folded them, wrapped his arms around them, and propped his chin on his knees. He went on with blankly staring through the windowpane, totally unimpressed by the beautiful sight of the clear sky he could see from there.

He stayed in that position for an unspecified time, wondering how he would survive the days ahead in the confinement. Would he even be able to survive at all? What if he paid no heed and just fled to somewhere else? He had been selfish before, so being selfish again would not be that difficult, right?

Of course, it was always easier said than done.

Again, he could only exhale deeply.

It was at the same time his phone decided to ding.

_I am here already._

He sighed in frustration.

Just right when he was contemplating an escape plan, Jack had to ruin it all.

Unenthusiastically, he left the bed and gathered up his luggage that he would bring with him. Done with that, he looked around the flat for one more time.

That was when he spotted the two boxes containing the mini paper cranes in the corner of the room. He immediately recalled the days he had folded them each a day but eventually stopped even before he could finish half of the total cranes he had wanted to make. Dropping the bag he was holding, he approached the boxes and opened them.

For a moment, he let himself be marveled by the colorful items. Picking up one crane, he decided to take it with him while leaving the rest of them behind, along with his memories of spending day by day in the small space he had called home for three years.

That evening he left the flat with a heavy heart. A small part of him hoped that he would be able to go back there really soon.

 

\---

 

Around the time he arrived at Tang Yi’s place again, he found the man already seated on the sofa reading a book in silence. With Jack’s assistance, he brought his luggage in and waited for Tang Yi to notice his presence, which did not take long to happen.

The man placed the book on the coffee table, rose from the sofa, and walked toward him unhurriedly.

“What a wise decision, Shao Fei,” Tang Yi said before stepping closer.

Up this close, he could smell the faint aroma of tea leaves that were supposed to bring tranquility to his mind, and yet, unfortunately, did not at the moment. Instead, he felt more nauseated when Tang Yi decided to lean in and gave him a peck on his cheek.

He wanted to pull away or push the man away from him but knew better than to do so.

Thus, he just remained stiff as a statue, trying not to flinch the moment Tang Yi’s mouth moved closer to his ear and whispered, “Welcome home, my dear.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> And if you want to say hi, you're welcome to visit me [here](https://flmngdzhng.tumblr.com/)


End file.
